Photo Finish: WHY DRAG? Launch Party

Why Drag?

Book Launch & Signing Party

The Abbey — West Hollywood

May 9, 2016 — Photographer Magnus Hastings charmed fans as he signed copies of his new photo-book, Why Drag? at The Abbey. Guests at the launch party included many of the drag queens featured in the book, who arrived party and photo ready.

Hastings orchestrated performances by some his queens that not only represented the diversity in his book, but the diversity of talents the they possess. Hosted by the Boulet Brothers the show featured Courtney Act, Nina West, Manila Luzon,Grace Towers, Vanity Faire, Brooke Lynn Hytes, WildChild, Dulce De Leche and Detox.

“As I worked on this project, there seemed to arise some confusion with viewers among the terms transexual, transvestite, and drag queen, so let me attempt to simplify:

a transexual is someone who feels they were born into the wrong body,

a transvestite has a need to wear women’s clothes (and is usually straight),

and a drag queen is generally a gay man who happily lives as a man but has an alter-ego, much like a super-hero, complete with a campy name and the love of an eye-catching outfit.”
— Magnus Hastings